The Machina War
by Okoa
Summary: Zanarkand, led by Yu Yevon, is on the brink of defeat at the hands of Bevelle. His only solution may turn the tides significantly, but at a devastating cost.
1. Prolog

"Your Majesty, you are late for your own ceremony!"

The man entered the Regal Office in located at the top floor of the Zanarkand Dome, the political center of Zanarkand. He was dressed very formally in a long red robe with golden ornamentations around the sleeves, a symbol of his high status in the political hierarchy.

The leader of Zanarkand, Yu Yevon, sat in his chair in the Regal Office overlooking his city from the large window behind him. He exhaled slowly. "I thought I told you to stop calling me that, Riels."

"Well, anything it takes to get you to show up to your own ceremony on time! Your people are waiting for you."

"I know." Yevon finally stood up, his long purple ceremonial outfit reaching the floor. "You'll understand my reluctance to scare my own people with our current status on the war."

"This doesn't have to be about the war. The Blitz Cup tournament starts in two days and everyone's looking forward to it. We know how much you love watching blitzball."

"Indeed, I always was a fan." He sighed again. "I guess you're right. Though it is my responsibility as a leader to inform my people of the war status, I must not let them fall into despair. We must keep our resolve strong!"

"That's the spirit! Everyone loves hearing your speeches, Yevon. They are truly an inspiration."

Yevon chuckled. "Thank you, Riels. I probably would not have come this far without your guidance."

"You chose me as your advisor," Riels chuckled back. "I'm just doing my job."

* * *

><p>Yevon and Riels made their way to the blitzball stadium located behind the Dome, where tens of thousands of people were gathered and eagerly awaiting the appearance of their beloved leader. When Yevon stepped onto the speaker's chair, the stadium erupted into screaming applause as the many citizens clamored in excitement for another Yu Yevon speech.<p>

Yevon raised his arms into the air, waving to the crowd and signaling his intention to begin his speech. After a few seconds the crowd got quiet. "My citizens, my friends," he began. "This war has dragged on for far too long." More applause. "But Zanarkand will not falter under the pressure of Bevelle's machine empire!" More thunderous cheering.

He continued. "Our summoners are strong. They are learning more and more powerful techniques with each passing day. On top of that, our attack on their hidden generators in Macalania have slowed them substantially. It will be a tough battle, but we must all be strong! We must show them that our magic of old can defeat their lifeless, hollow machines!" The audience was ecstatic, cheering wildly.

"However!" The audience got quiet again. "We cannot let this war completely sever us from our traditional festivities. In two days, I will be most honored to host this year's annual Blitz Cup _right here in Zanarkand!_" The crowd went crazy. Fanatical blitzball fans tore their shirts off, revealing their bare chests colored red and black, the color of the Zanarkand Duggles.

"On that day," he continued. "The Besaid Stingers will leave this city tasting the bitter flavor of a crushing defeat!" Break for cheering. "The pre-game ceremony will be held by the Duggles' four primary field players: Jeron, Kellek, Shuyin, and Kant!" Wild screaming from the diehard fans.

Yevon smiled at the excitement of his people, hoping like he was to take their minds off the war. "I will never let my city die," he said under his breath.


	2. First Calm

"Father!"

Yunalesca, with her long silver hair and ceremonial gown, along with her husband approached Yevon near the main corridor on the bottom floor of the blitzball stadium. She too was feeling the rush of inspiration that everyone felt after the speech.

Yevon's face lit up. "Ah, Yunalesca!" The two embraced and he kissed her on the cheek. "You're back sooner than I thought."

"Well, we wanted to get back to see your presentation! But we had a terrific time in Besaid."

"That's very thoughtful, Yuna." He turned to her husband and bowed. "How have you been, Zaon?"

Zaon bowed in response. "Very well, Maester, thank you. A truly remarkable presentation as always."

"So I take it you two made the most out of your vacation?" Yevon eagerly asked. "You know how disappointed I would be if you ended it early just to see me."

Yunalesca laughed. "Father, trust me, we had an outstanding time. The beaches are so heavenly there; we should all go together sometime!"

"Oh, I would if I had the time," Yevon cheerfully replied. "But since you're back, I would be honored if you two would join us at the banquet tonight."

"Yes, I heard you were hosting the Blitz Cup banquet a day early, Father. Isn't it supposed to be held the day before the tournament, not two days?"

"Traditionally, yes. But I felt like having it tonight because...why not?" Everyone laughed.

"So who will be there tonight?" Yunalesca asked.

"I will!" Riels came in from behind, spotting Yunalesca and Zaon.

Yunalesca smiled. "Riels! How are you?"

Riels put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on both cheeks. "I'm wonderful, milady. How was your trip?"

"Just divine," she said. "Will the Drillquad be joining us too?"

"I believe so," Riels said. "Shuyin said he will also try to invite Lenne as well."

"Oh, that's nice." Yunalesca turned to her father. "Is Mother still at home?"

"I believe she is," Yevon replied. "She probably doesn't even know you're back yet."

"I'll surprise her then! I'll see you later tonight, Father." She hugged Yevon one last time. "Would you like to come along, Zaon?"

"I must speak to your father about some political matters first, Yuna," Zaon said. "I'll join you there later!"

"Ahh, more political things, I see," she said. "Well, don't be long!" She and Zaon kissed and then she walked off.

Riels turned to Yevon. "I'll see you later, Yevon. I'd like to stop in and see the family as well."

"Of course, Riels. You better come hungry to the banquet!"

"You know I will!" Riels laughed and walked off in the direction of his house.

Yevon and Zaon began walking towards the Dome main entrance. "What news do you have, Zaon?"

"I managed to get a look at one of Bevelle's military ports off the coast of Kilika. They were extracting what looked like Flan Corals from the bottom of the ocean floor. That seemed a bit odd to me."

"Flan Corals? What would they need those for?"

"I wasn't sure either. The corals are sturdy but not sturdy enough to make any kind of effective armor out of. Not unless they're hoping to turn it into an exoskeleton of some kind."

"A bio-organic weapon?"

Zaon nodded. "That's my guess." Yevon said nothing but he was visibly distressed and confused. Zaon continued, "I'm not terribly knowledgeable about biological warfare but nothing of the sort has ever been done before. And just from looking at how much corals they were bringing in, it looks like it's going to be something massive."

"Are you suggesting we attack the port?"

"I think it would be in our best interest, Maester."

Yevon sighed. "I think you're right. We can't afford to take chances at this point. Assemble your best summoners and prepare for an assault tomorrow. This must be a quick one, especially now before the blitzball tournament. I don't want anything getting in the way of the Blitz Cup."

"Of course." Zaon started to walk out towards the city.

"And Zaon."

He stopped. "Yes?"

"You must keep this quiet. Even from my daughter. Agreed?"

"Yes, Maester." He bowed and continued on his way. Yevon walked inside the Dome, heading up to the Regal Office. Conflicted thoughts pervaded his mind, and he found himself asking how far he would go to turn the war around, and how far each side would go to win it.

* * *

><p>That night, Yu Yevon sat with Riels, Yunalesca and Zaon in the banquet hall of the Zanarkand Dome as servants prepared the dinner table for nine people. Yevon's mind was still preoccupied with the news that Zaon had presented him but he did his best not to let it interfere with the meal, or to allow his daughter to suspect anything.<p>

The door opened and a servant walked in along with four other individuals. The servant bowed. "Maester Yevon, the Drillquad have arrived."

Yevon and the others stood up. "Excellent, thank you. Come in, gentlemen."

The Drillquad, consisting of Duggles players Jeron, Shuyin, Kellek and Kant, entered the banquet hall and respectfully bowed. Shuyin spoke, "Maester, it's an honor to dine with you and your company tonight."

"The honor is ours, Shuyin," Yevon responded. "By all means, have a seat."

Everyone sat down to the table as the servants prepared the last finishing touches and began bringing out the food. "Is Lenne coming as well?" Yevon asked.

Shuyin shook his head. "Unfortunately, she couldn't be here tonight. She had already made arrangements with the coordinators of the pre-game ceremony."

"Oh, I see. Well, she's putting her duties before pleasure, and that's very commendable." Everyone nodded. "Well, shall we begin?"

The banquet continued through the night hours as the group talked, laughed and ate enough food for twenty people. Conversation ranged from exotic places in Spira to exotic foods in Kilika to Zanarkand's victories in the war, before eventually finding its way to blitzball where it comfortably stayed for a good while.

"So, Shuyin," Riels said. "What exactly is a duggle anyway?"

Shuyin laughed. "This is a surprisingly popular question. There are duggles in Spira, you know."

"I've never seen one," Riels laughed back.

"Well, it's kinda like...um..." He turned to Kant. "How would you describe it?"

"It's like an oversized tick, basically," Kant said. "It's got a black body with a red head, and twelve legs shaped like hooks."

Yunalesca laughed. "You chose that as your team name?" The whole table laughed with her.

"We didn't choose the name!" Shuyin said, chortling along. "The original founders chose it many years ago. The reason is, the duggle likes to find its hosts by 'possessing' smaller animals to lure unsuspecting people walking by into letting their guard down, and then sneaking onto that person's body without them noticing. It's an ingeniously clever way to find fresh blood to suck."

"It possesses animals?" Yunalesca asked.

"Only small ones. It can't control larger animals. It likes to target creatures that don't look very menacing so humans will be more likely to approach them. They're really smart, and they play dirty. Just like us!"

"Ah, that's right," Yevon said. "You boys have become infamous for keeping that tradition, haven't you?"

Jeron shook his head. "Well, we're not as bad as everyone likes to think, but we do what we can to win, you know?"

Yevon nodded. "That's one of the reasons I stopped playing for the Duggles back in the day. I didn't always approve of their methods."

"Oh yeah, I forgot!" Shuyin said. "You used to play for the Duggles, didn't you, Maester?"

"That's right, I did for a while. Those were the days in my youth, back in prehistoric times." Everyone laughed.

"What are you talking about? You're not that old!" Shuyin responded. "I was gonna suggest that you should come back sometime. I think the people would love to see you on the field again!"

"Well, I never said I was ready for the grave," Yevon chuckled. "But I'm not a god either. My body will eventually catch up with my age, and even sooner if I start using it on blitzball. Besides, there are other things that I also must focus on..." His voice trailed off. Zaon looked at him, knowing full well what he meant. Yevon continued, "Anyway, how are you and Lenne getting along?"

Shuyin smiled. "Oh, everything's going great! We're planning to get our own place that's out on the east side of town. It's a nice beach house overlooking the ocean; what a fantastic view."

"Well, that's wonderful. I would love to see it sometime. The east side of Zanarkand is a beautiful place." He paused for a little bit. There was a silent moment as the group devoted their attention to their meal. Eventually, Yevon raised his glass. "Everyone, I would like to propose a toast now."

Everybody raised their glasses as well. Yevon continued, "This city means so much to me. I like to think that every decision I make is for the benefit of the citizens, and that the citizens believe in my judgment." Everyone voiced their affirmation. "My aversion to most machina stems from my belief that the ancient practices of magic and summoning should be upheld and honored by everyone in Spira, because those practices are what made Spiran civilization what it is today. I feel that by industrializing the way that Bevelle is doing, we would lose sight of our traditions and focus on making the world too modern."

He paused again. "Anyway, my point is that I just want to be sure that I'm doing the right thing. No one enjoys war, I know. But my biggest priority is the welfare of my people, and it always will be." He raised his glass higher. "To Zanarkand, and its eternal prosperity!"

Everyone echoed, "To Zanarkand!" and drank. Yevon drank last, glad to have the support of his closest friends.

* * *

><p>As servants started to clean up after everyone had eaten their fill, the group continued to talk amongst each other about current events and miscellaneous small talk. After a few hours, when the moon had risen high and hung over the city, Shuyin and the rest of the Drillquad stood up from the table.<p>

"Maester," Shuyin bowed. "Thank you very much for inviting us here tonight. We all had a great time, but we must take our leave now, unfortunately. Please excuse us."

"Not at all," Yevon said. "Thank you for coming. I look forward to seeing you all in the match." Everyone bowed, and the Drillquad left the hall.

Yunalesca turned to Yevon. "Is everything alright, Father? You seemed preoccupied with something earlier."

"Everything's fine, Yuna," he replied. "Your mother is probably still at home, wondering when we're going to get finished here. Why don't you go on ahead and check in with her? I will be there later."

"Very well. Good night, gentlemen." She bowed.

"Good night, Lady Yunalesca," Riels said and bowed back. She left the room.

"Now, then," Yevon said a few seconds after she went. "Zaon, how many summoners can be prepped for an assault tomorrow?"

"I have at least fifty strong summoners prepared right now. I can get twenty more at least tomorrow morning."

"Good. Tell them to prepare for battle tomorrow night. We can sneak an attack much better under the cover of darkness. They probably don't suspect that we know about this harbor, do they?"

"I don't think so, Maester. I snuck out at night while Yunalesca was asleep; the harbor is only barely visible from the coast of Besaid. I recommend a sneak attack from the nearby forests of Kilika."

"Indeed. Riels, prepare our spies to be sent to the harbor site tomorrow afternoon so we can learn as much as we can about what they're doing there and why they're collecting these corals. We need as much information as we can get."

"Of course, Maester," Riels replied.

"I want this whole thing wrapped up before the tournament starts the day after. This must be a quick job, agreed?"

"Agreed," Riels and Zaon said.

"Thank you very much, gentlemen," Yevon said. "You are dismissed for the night."

"Have a good night, Yevon," Riels said as he and Zaon walked out.

Yevon went back to the Regal Office to collect the last of his things before leaving the Dome and walking back to his house. He found himself silently praying to whichever god was listening that the war would soon be over, through any miracle they had in store.


	3. Dragons

Yu Yevon, escorted by Zaon and carrying a paper scroll in his hand, entered the Conference Room in the Dome, where Riels and three other summoners were readying their equipment for secretly investigating Bevelle's port at Kilika. Their dark green camouflaged attire would perfectly blend them into the nearby jungles.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Yevon said. "Have you reviewed your mission?"

"Yes, Maester," Riels said. "We are to split up, infiltrate the institution, and steal any information we can find on Bevelle's weapon."

"Yes," Yevon said. "If Bevelle really is attempting a biological weapon of some kind, we must halt their progress at all costs. This is our chance to seriously cripple their experiments." He unraveled the scroll and laid it onto the table. Everyone crowded around; it was a detailed map of the general area around the Bevellian base, from the adjacent beaches to the lush jungles and an open area next to the base for their cargo airships.

Riels and the others huddled around the table. "What's the plan, Maester?"

Yevon pointed at the jungle area. "Riels, you will take your unit through the jungle and find a way in through there. Zaon will send his troops from the beachside and attack the base from the front. This should create enough of a distraction that you can sneak in through this service entrance here and find the blueprints to the weapon. I would imagine they would be located down in the lower levels of the building."

"Understood," Riels replied.

"Once you make entry, your team must split up. One team must search for the blueprints within the laboratories, and another team will plant explosive devices in the lower areas. We must destroy this facility and halt production on this weapon. Zaon, how many summoners were you able to assemble?"

"I have two hundred summoners standing by, Maester," Zaon responded. "They are ready to deploy at any time."

"Very good. Now, over here in this open area next to the base is an airfield where cargo and scout ships land and take off regularly. Zaon's troops will target this area first, as we must maintain air superiority for our Aeons. The airfield is also guarded by several heavy automated gun turrets; those must be dealt with swiftly as well." Yevon pointed at the main base. "We will strike during the changing of the guard, so the ground troops will be caught unprepared and will scramble to strengthen their security. When reinforcements arrive, Riels, you must pull your team out immediately. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Riels responded.

Yevon turned to Zaon. "And your troops, Zaon, must hit fast and hard to avoid allowing them to call for air support. Once the airfield has been disabled, their closest source of support is probably the airfields at Djose. When those ships arrive, we will be forced to retreat, so we are on a timer for this mission. I want this wrapped up within an hour, understood?"

"Yes, Maester," the rest of the room replied.

"Thank you," Yevon said, standing up straight. "Be ready this afternoon to fly your Aeons out. You will land in the Kilika jungles and go the rest of the way on foot. Stay hidden and wait for the first strike to breach the building. The dark of night and the chaos of the battle will be your cover."

Riels nodded and motioned his team to follow him out the door. Yevon looked over to Zaon and nodded at him, indicating the time to get the troops ready. As Zaon left the room, a messenger entered holding a glowing orange sphere. He approached Yevon and bowed his head.

"Maester, message sphere for you," he said.

"Oh?" Yevon took the sphere from him. "Who is it from?"

"It's from Bevelle. The chancellor has sent you a personal message, sir."

"The chancellor?" Yevon paused and looked at the messenger in the eyes. "Has this been tested, young man?"

The messenger nodded. "Yes, sir. Our analysts have examined it extensively and confirmed it is safe."

Yevon thought to himself for a bit, looking at the sphere in his hand. He recalled an incident shortly after the war began in which a message sphere that was rigged to explode was intended to be delivered to the Regal Office but detonated prematurely in a nearby room, killing several Zanarkand officials. Every fiber of Yevon's being told him not to accept this sphere, but he trusted his analysts and he had to admit that a small part of him was quite curious.

He told his messenger, "Very well. Thank you." The messenger bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him. All alone in the room now, he set the sphere on the table and activated it. The device lit up and displayed the image of an older, balding man sitting at a desk in what appeared to be a presidential office, Bevelle's insignia displayed on the back wall.

"Chancellor Evrae," Yevon said to himself. "You are still in power, I see."

The man in the sphere smiled, his hands folded neatly on the desk. "Yu Yevon...ruler of the majestic city of Zanarkand. I apologize that we couldn't talk interactively with each other, but this will have to suffice. There are some things I feel I must reveal to you.

"As I'm sure you remember, the recent battle at Macalania has claimed the life of my last Executive Chief. I was very sad about this; I don't enjoy visiting families to let them know that one of their loved ones won't be coming home again. This...unprovoked attack will not be forgiven or forgotten. You know I have no quarrel with your city's way of life, but when you blockaded the western canals behind Zanarkand and prevented our science ships from studying the area, I was forced to take that as an aggressive action. You have done nothing but prolong this war, Yevon. I want you to realize this so you know where I'm coming from. You need to understand how bad this is for the both of us."

Yevon sighed, briefly considering shutting off the sphere. Evrae continued, "In any case, I'd like you to meet my new Executive Chief of Affairs." A younger man with short dark hair stepped into view, standing behind Evrae. His piercing eyes and stern gaze seemed to stare right through the sphere. "This is Dragonian. He is now my chief officer in charge of all military operations in the city of Bevelle. The reason I am introducing him to you now is because he is not especially known for his mercy. Dragonian is a hardened soldier who has served his city for many years, and he has impressed me with his fierceness and intensity. This man will not take the atrocity at Macalania lightly. And when you surrender, which I am strongly urging you to do, only then will he show leniency. This is the last time I'm warning you, Yevon: you are out of options. I do not want to destroy Zanarkand. But...if you keep up with this foolishness, I will." With those words, the sphere powered off.

Yevon tossed the sphere onto the table, where it rolled until it fell off and simply bounced, rolling even further until hitting the wall. He felt discouraged; he despised being forced to take lives, especially as collateral damage like all the lives lost at Macalania. At the same time, however, Evrae's latest threat filled Yevon with a new resolve.

"Evrae..." he said, under his breath. "You dare threaten my people with death at the hands of your right-hand madman. You do not decide where your pillaging ships can sail in my waters. I asked you to respect my wishes to leave the western canals untouched...but instead you took us both to war. You are the one prolonging this conflict, not I. I will not surrender."

* * *

><p>Later that day, Yevon met with Riels and his three commandoes just outside the city, at the base of Mt. Gagazet. The sun had begun to set, enveloping the mountain slopes in its bright yellow glow. All three had summoned their winged Aeons to fly them to the jungles and were receiving a final briefing from Yevon before taking off.<p>

Yevon asked, "You all understand your mission, correct?"

"Yes, Maester!" the group responded.

"Remember, this must be quick. You must infiltrate the base and find whatever information you can about the weapon before air support from Djose arrives. It will take about an hour for them to get there, so you don't have too much time. You must stay hidden; you cannot afford to encounter resistance or do anything that will delay you. You understand that, yes?"

"Yes, Maester!" they repeated.

"Also, remember to stay below the clouds as you get closer to Kilika. Their radars can detect anything flying in the vicinity, but if you stay close to the trees, they will be more likely to dismiss that as just a local creature. Any further questions?" The commandoes shook their heads. "Very good. Off you go, gentlemen. Best of luck."

The four summoners hopped on the backs of their Aeons. The Phoenixes unfurled their majestic wings, let out a confident shriek, and lifted off. They flew higher and higher, eventually disappearing behind the clouds, ensuring they would fly far enough to reach Kilika before nightfall. Yevon turned and headed back into the city.

Walking through the city as dusk slowly enveloped the landscape, Yevon travelled to the subterranean temple below the Zanarkand Dome, where three large statues surrounded the circular room. He moved to the center of the room, extending his arms and looking up.

"O Protector Gods of Zanarkand, I am in desperate need of guidance. For years, I have fought to keep your submerged holy grounds safe from outsider raids, and I have sacrificed so much to keep your sacred traditions alive within my people. But now we are fighting a losing battle, and I do not wish to keep sending my people to die for a futile war. I ask—no, I _plead_ you for your guidance. Gaia, Goddess of Fertility...Brohlem, God of Power...Necron, Lord of Eternity. I ask for your help in protecting my people."

He got down on his knees, bowing his head to the floor with his hands in front of him. He stayed this way for several minutes, silently praying for a miracle. All he could think about was his wife, his daughter, his closest advisors, his dearest friends, and all the people who were packed in the stadium who were so excited for the blitzball tournament. His wife...

Yevon heard footsteps coming down the stairs leading to this temple. He quickly stood up and turned around to meet the person. The person who came down was a woman, dressed in casual robes, looking visibly distressed. "Yevon?" she said.

"Judara, my wife," Yevon said, walking over to her and kissing her on the cheek. "What are you doing here? How'd you know I was here?"

She looked down. "Before he left, Zaon told me he saw you heading down here. I was worried about you; you've been very distant lately. Are you so preoccupied with the war that you can't be happy with your family again?"

"You are right. I'm sorry, Judara. I've been trying to keep the people optimistic about the future, but I cannot seem to do the same for myself."

"You didn't even tell your daughter that her husband would be leaving this afternoon for a mission that he can't talk about. She worries every minute of every day that he may never come back."

Yevon clasped her hands between his. "My darling, I wish I could be open about everything. I really do. But we are at war now, and our security is paramount in this situation. I cannot risk compromising valuable information, but most importantly, I cannot risk the safety of you and Yunalesca."

The two began walking back up the stairs, with Judara leaning on her husband's arm. They walked back up to the city in silence, peacefully enjoying each other's company. Judara, however, was holding in a question she wanted to ask him, something she knew he wouldn't like but no time was better than now. They were all alone, standing in front of the Dome bathed in twilight.

She turned to him. "Yevon, Yunalesca wants to help you however she can. She wants to be a part of this. You know that, right?"

"Yes, but I cannot bear to risk her life in this struggle. She's a strong and talented summoner, but I don't know if I could bring myself to ask her to fight."

"Well..." The door of opportunity was open. There was no backing down. "She wants you to teach her the Final Summoning."

Yevon stopped suddenly, forcing Judara to abruptly stop along with him. His look was one of shock. "Absolutely not. Absolutely not! Where in the _world_ would she think I would be ready to teach her that technique?"

"But, don't you think she's ready for it?"

"No, of course not! She knows how dangerous the technique is, and she knows that only the ruler of Zanarkand may be allowed to learn it. It is above her current abilities, and I will not endanger her life like that for any reason. The answer is no, and that's all I'm prepared to discuss about that."

"I see..." she said, sighing deeply as they continued to walk back to their home. They continued on in silence, lost in their own thoughts as dusk began to settle over the city. It was the first time in a long while that Yevon had taken a quiet walk with his wife through the streets during twilight hours. He had hoped it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

><p>Riels and his three commandoes landed in the nearby forest just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, as predicted. The dense woods provided excellent cover for them, the sounds of local creatures masking the noise of their movement and their camouflaged attire perfectly blending them in. Upon landing in the woods and calling their Aeons back, Riels directed his men to spread out as they made their way to the enemy base. As nightfall was almost upon them, they would need to move quickly so they wouldn't miss the first strike; once the perimeter defenses were neutralized, it would be up to them to move in and move out just as quickly.<p>

Night had completely fallen on them by the time they reached the designated location. They stayed hidden within the very edge of the brush and saw the large facility they were looking for: large, heavily guarded, and completely surrounded with heavy artillery cannons. Armed troops—too many to count—patrolled the area tirelessly.

"Scope," Riels whispered to his team. One of his commandoes pulled a pair of binoculars out of his pocket and handed it to him. Riels studied the area, observing the guard stations and all possible entrances on that side of the facility. Since the location of the blueprints they needed weren't exact, they would need to find the best entrance in order to save precious time.

Riels handed the binoculars back and motioned for his team to huddle. "Okay, listen up. I've located one entrance on the south side, just behind that cannon over there." He pointed towards one of the cannons in the distance, where a metal grate covered a small ventilation tunnel that appeared to be able to fit a human. "According to the schematics Yevon gave us, we can use that vent over there to climb in and it should lead us right to where they're holding schematics for the weapon."

Minutes passed as the commandoes waited for their cue. The armed guards carried out their patrols like automatons—walking back and forth ceaselessly. Eventually, a whistle blew from the main building and the guards all left their posts, signifying the end of the current shift and the start of the next one. Riels looked up to the sky, knowing that the time to strike was soon. He was looking for the signal…

A massive fireball fell from the sky, right on time, and struck one of the massive cannons, destroying it. The commandoes looked up to the sky and observed the source: all the summoners from Zanarkand riding on their winged Aeons, led by Zaon himself, swooped in and began their attack. The Aeons discharged powerful bursts of fire directed at all of the cannons, destroying them before they could get a bead on any targets.

The Bevellians were clearly caught off guard. The alarm sounded as troops scrambled outside, disorganized and confused, with their automatic rifles in hand. Both sides began exchanging fire, creating massive chaos among the base grounds. Riels and his commandoes used this opportunity to run out from the trees towards the ventilation tunnel, where no one was looking, and began unhinging the grate.

"We need to split up once we get inside. You two, take the bombs to lower levels and plant them there, where they'll do the most damage. Tifas, stay with me while we search the main laboratory for the weapon schematics. We're out in ten minutes, understood?"

"Understood," the commandoes responded.

"We only get one shot at this." The grate snapped off and Riels threw it to the ground. "You have your orders. Let's move out!"

The two commandoes equipped with the bombs went in first, crawling through the ventilation tunnel and taking a left at the first juncture, leading down to the lower levels. Riels and Tifas crawled in and took a right at the juncture, leading to the main labs. They followed the tunnel through, passing over the many hallways that were bustling with activity as armed soldiers ran every which way to respond to the skirmish outside.

Riels and Tifas eventually came to a large laboratory room where many scientists and engineers were performing their work on massive chunks of corals, shaping them into external armor. Due to the intensity of the battle outside, there were few soldiers in the room.

"Here we are," Riels whispered. He quietly loosened a grate in front of him, and the two of them dropped down into the room, quickly ducking behind some nearby crates. Before they went on, they observed the positions of all the soldiers in the room. There were three—two stood huddled about twenty yards away from them and one stood by a table with all kinds of schematics on it—and they were all clearly on edge. Riels pointed to two guards standing by each other. "Use a flash bomb and disable those two. I'll take the other one."

Tifas moved towards the two guards, all while staying hidden, while Riels snuck towards the lone guard by the schematics. When the two were in position, Riels nodded to Tifas across the room, and Tifas released a flash bomb from his belt toward the guards. The device exploded in a blinding flare, disorienting the guards long enough for him to incapacitate them with a few blows to the head. The guard near the schematics was immediately alerted to the commotion, but Riels locked him into a headlock and rendered him unconscious before he could act. The scientists and engineers dropped their instruments and fled in reaction to the flash bang, rushing to hide in safety.

"We need to hurry," Riels said. "They'll likely bring security back with them."

The two shuffled through the pile of papers on the table. Most of them were partial schematics filled with incomprehensible and useless information. Eventually, Riels found one schematic that provided a full picture of the weapon. The diagram of the weapon resembled a large, winged, six-legged creature that looked like no design that Riels had ever seen before. The diagram listed multiple devastating armament and armor systems, but one word at the top of the paper caught his attention.

"Vegnagun…" he read aloud.

The sound of soldiers approaching from the hallway jolted Riels and Tifas to attention. Riels folded the blueprint up and the two bolted back to the vent from where they came. Putting the blueprint in his belt where it would stay, Riels hoisted himself up into the vent and turned around to assist Tifas into the vent. Gunfire immediately came from the hallway as enemy soldiers poured in firing in the direction of the commandoes.

"Quick, give me your hand!" Riels called. Before Tifas could grab on, a flurry of machine gun fire intercepted him and sent him falling to the ground, lying motionless on the floor.

"No!" Riels shouted. As the soldiers got closer, he had no choice but to leave the body behind. He crawled as fast as he could through the vent, eventually exiting out from where he came in. The fierce melee between Aeons and machina raged on, with neither side showing signs of slowing down. Riels stayed crouched next to the opening, waiting for the other two commandoes. They needed to move quickly, before Bevellian reinforcements arrived.

The two commandoes fortunately exited the facility a few minutes later. Riels jumped up instantly. "Report?"

"Mission complete. Explosives primed," one commando replied.

"Alright, we need to move out now. We'll exit through the jungle." Riels directed his commandoes to follow him back through the jungle to their original landing zone, where they would take off from.

"Sir, what about Tifas? Did he make it?" a commando asked.

"No," Riels replied. "He didn't make it."

As they ran through the jungle, they heard a series of massive explosion behind them, undoubtedly the destruction of the facility caused by the bombs. They looked up to the sky and saw the summoners flying back on their Aeons, the facility destroyed and the base's defenses rendered inoperable. With another successful military operation, albeit not without casualties, the troops regrouped to return to Zanarkand, and to tell Yu Yevon of the news of victory.


End file.
